Restaurants have evolved from mere eating places to places where one can mingle and socialize with friends and family. Though there are many types of restaurants, they have become a destination of sorts, especially the fancy ones. Are you a restaurant owner?
Owning a restaurant is an exciting business. Foodies will flock to your restaurant for the menu. Non-foodies will pay a visit to the ambiance. That is if you maintain your restaurant well.
Maintaining food service establishments is tedious. There are a lot of factors to consider when maintaining a restaurant. Apart from food safety, you will have to keep in mind the cleanliness of the place, inside and out. As a restaurant owner, what are things you should remember in maintaining your space?
Let’s Get Physical
The first step is to maintain the physical properties of your restaurant. You have to regularly check the exterior of your place as this is the first thing that visitors notice.
The facade of an establishment may be something that is overlooked by some store owners but it should, in fact, be one of the top priorities. Whether we like it or not, people are visual creatures, and they are attracted to eye-candy.
Maintain your establishment’s roof clean. This may be a shock to some because no one will even see the roof. It is a misconception that the roof should not be maintained. It is a barrier from rain and cleaning this regularly will prevent mold growth as well as prevent leaks. Find a roof cleaning service near you.
During the hotter months, take advantage and repaint your exterior, if needed. A fresh coat of paint will allow your restaurant to shine and stand out in a crowd full of a dull facade.
Check your electrical wiring and lighting. A dim restaurant may be the mood that you are after, but having a room too dark may not be the ideal lighting for some customers. Regularly check your lighting for changes needed. Electrical wiring should also be checked regularly to avoid electrical-related injuries or accidents. You would want to avoid a lawsuit from your customers.
Another thing to remember is to maintain your heating, ventilation, and air conditioning units. No one wants to feel too cold or too hot while on a dinner date. Keep your customers comfortable by regularly maintaining your units.
Your restaurant’s physical properties are not all there is to maintain in a restaurant. As a restaurant owner, you should also take care of your employees.
Human Resources
Sometimes, restaurant owners overlook the need for proper human resources. They often focus on the ambiance and the menu, so they tend to forget the importance of customer service. This should not be the case, though, because customer service is of utmost importance in any field of interest.
Good customer service will keep your customers coming back to your restaurant. It is important for you to show how much you appreciate your customers so that they would feel special every time they visit your place. In line with good customer service is good management of human resources.
Make sure to take care of your employees well. Manage your restaurant’s finances well so that you can compensate your employees fairly. Fair compensation will boost their performance at work and will result in better customer service in the long run.
As mentioned, you need to learn how to handle your finances to keep your restaurant up and running. How do you do this?
Financial Management
Let’s say you had enough capital to start your restaurant business. That’s great, but it won’t sustain your restaurant for long.
As a restaurant owner, part of your responsibility is knowing where to spend your money and how. When it comes to handling money, you should be disciplined enough to avoid overspending on unnecessary things for the restaurant. Also, it is important that you know how to recognize potential setbacks so that you can take preventive measures before your finances come crashing down.
Your restaurant’s finances are your anchor in this business. If you don’t trust yourself enough to handle your business finances, find someone you fully trust to help you out. No matter how good your menu is, if your management is unsuccessful, your restaurant won’t be up for long.
Running a restaurant is an exciting adventure because you get to satisfy your customer’s cravings and desires. Like in any business, though, it needs proper maintenance. Several factors are to be considered when running a food service business and you should be familiar with these even if your restaurant has been running for a while now. It wouldn’t hurt to refresh yourself with restaurant owner responsibilities. After all, food service is a serious business.